Can cleaner



May 10, C MUSCOTT CAN CLEANER Filed March 3, 1958 IO l2 20F/ 5 I8 lo\ l2 n. 6.

[1l/11111 l5 j I8 "'00 INVENT OR.

United States Patentl O 2,935,158 CAN CLEANER Clarence Muscott, Ithaca, Mich. Appiicanon March s, 195s, serial No. 718,832

1 claim. (cl. 15-236) This invention relates to hand tools and more particularly to a device for removing ice cream from cans.

I-t is an object of the present invention to provide a hand paddle for completely removing all of the remaining ice cream from ice cream cans, so as to prevent unnecessary waste of such ice cream.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a can cleaner formed from a single piece of suitable material of the above type that is extremely simple to use, is well balanced, and which can completely remove the remaining ice cream from a can in a simple and eicient manner.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an ice cream can cleaner bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a can cleaner made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of an ice cream can being cleaned with the tool made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a small front elevational view of the can cleaner;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal taken on line 8 8 of Fig. l.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a can cleaner 10 made from a single piece of material, in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a main blade portion i12 of substantially rectangular shape having handle 14 at its upper end and a thin sharp edge 16 at the lower or opposite end. The longitudinal axis of the handle 14 is coincident with the longitudinal central axis of the blade portion 12, whereby the handle s symmetrical with all portions of the blade. I'I'he upper extremity of the blade portion is substantially thicker than the lower extremities, whereby sutlicient rigidity is provided where required, while the sharp working edge 16 is suiciently thin to reach into the most remote portions of the can being cleaned. The back portion of the sectional view ice blade being longitudinally straight and transversely convex. The face portion of the blade being tapered longitudinally downward and transversely concave.

The sides 15 of the blade portion are parallel and symmetrically disposed relative to the handle 14. The lower edge 16, straight sides 15, and straight upper edge 19 thus define a substantially rectangular shaped blade with a transverse convex back portion and a shallow transverse concave face 18 which is adapted to receive small quantities of ice cream remainingwithin the can as the blade is moved downwardly along the inside surface thereof. The transverse lower thin edge 16 very slightly curved downwardly and joining at its side edges with the straight sides of the back portion of the blade.

In operative use, the can cleaner 10 is held in the manner indicated in Figure 3 of the drawing, and the thin working edge 16 of the blade portion is moved downwardly along the inside surface of the can 20 so as to accumulate the ice cream 21 adjacent to the bottom of the can. Because of the, particular shape and conlguration of the blade portion with longitudinally straight back port-ion and the thin working edge 16, the tool can reach into the most remote areas of the can to remove substantially all of the remaining ice cream therefrom. It will thus be recognized that by using this tool a very small fraction of the remaining ice cream will be wasted, thus resulting in substantial saving to wholesale and retail operators, and reducing the over all cost of the goods sold.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A one-piece can cleaner of the class described comprising, in combination, a blade member with upper and lower edges, a handle of cylindrical configuration integrally secured at its base to the upper end of said blade member, the longitudinal central axis of said handle coincident with the longitudinal central axis of said blade member, the length of said handle substantially equal to the length of said blade member, said handle substantially symmetrical with said blade member, said blade member of substantially rectangular configuration and of simple curvature with its lower end having a thin, slightly curved lower forward edge, a concave front face portion and a convex back portion, said blade having straight parallel sides, and its upper end having a straight upper edge, said thin, slightly curved lower forward edge being pro vided with a front face transverse bevel which extends the entire width of the blade member from the face to the back portion thereof, said lower edge being symmetrical with said sides of said blade, and the upper portion of said blade being of substantially thicker construction than said thin lower edge thereof, said back portion of said blade being longitudinally straight and transversely convex and said face portion of said blade being tapered longitudinally downwardly and rearwardly and transversely concave.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 302,813 Anderson July 29, 1884 2,012,637 Ribley Aug. 27, 1935 2,174,388 Myers Sept. 26. 1939 2,319,870 Larsen May 25, 1943 

